Strand feeding mechanism for fastening inserting machines



Sept. 22, 1953 Original Filed March 29,

C. L. KNOT STRAND FEEDING MECHANISM FOR FASTENING INSERTING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 22, 1953 c, KNQTT 2,652,616

STRAND FEEDING MECHANISM FOR FASTENING INSERTING MACHINES Original Filed March 29, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 2 Clyde nvenim" c. KNOTT 2,652,616 STRAND FEEDING MECHANISM FOR FASTENING INSERTING MACHINES Sept. 22, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed March 29,' 1947 Invenfor Patented Sept. 22, 1953 STRAND FEEDING MECHANISM FOR FASTENING IN SERTING MACHINES Clyde L. Knott, Beverly, Mass., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J a corporation of New Jersey Original application March 29, 1947, Serial No. 738,095. Divided and this application October 21, 1948, Serial No. 55,766

Claims.

This invention relates to strand feeding mechanisms for use in fastening inserting machines of the type disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,510,234, granted June 6, 1950, upon my application, of which application the present application is a division. The machine disclosed in the above-identified application is in turn quit similar in character to the machine disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,420,290, granted May 13, 1947 in the' name of A. D. Willhauck, to which latter patent disclosure reference may be made regarding those structural features which are hereinafter mentioned but not shown in this present application. These machines are adapted to secure a shoe upper in lasted relation to a shoe bottom member, such as an insole, by means of fiber pegs successively severed from strands of fiber fastening material. In machines of this type, the strand or strands of fastening material are usually supplied from a reel or reels, on which the strands are coiled up, by means of a strand feeding mechanism which serves to advance the strand or strands intermittently into a strand severing mechanism in which the fastenings, such as pegs, are severed from the strand or strands.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved strand feeding mechanism so designed that it will insure the delivery of predetermined, uniform lengths of strand material to the strand severing mechanism without undue strain on the feeding mechanism and without excessive strand tension liable to cause strand breakages. This is to be accomplished even though the feeding mechanism is called upon to handle simultaneously a plurality of strands, in the present example up to twenty-two strands.

To this end and in accordance with one feature of the invention there is provided in the illustrated machine a strand pull-of. member operatively connected with the strand feeding mechanism in such a way that, on completion of a strand feeding operation, the pull-off member is caused to pull off a length of strand from the supply and to hold that length of strand taut between the. supply and the feeding mechanism. Immediately prior to the commencement of a strand feeding operation, the pull-off member is caused to slacken or release the tension from the extent of strand or strands between the supply and the feeding mechanism, thus greatly facilitating the operation of the latter and reducing strand breakages to a minimum.

These and other features of the invention will now be descri e i detail in connection with the drawings and will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a view in left-hand side elevation of the upper part of a heel seat lasting machine of the above-mentioned type in which the invention is illustrated as embodied;

Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation of part of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a view in left-hand side elevation of the strand feeding mechanism in its operative position.

As has been stated, the invention is illustrated herein as embodied in a fastening insertin machine of the type disclosed in the above-mentioned patents. Accordingly, only so much of the general organization and construction of the machine will be shown and described herein as it is necessary to refer to for an understanding of this invention. It has also been explained that the machine referred to is adapted to insert into the work presented thereto fastenings in the form of pegs which are formed in the machine from strands of fastening material, for example, fiber strands S. Thus, the illustrated machine, the same as the machine in the patents referred to, has a strand supply generally indicated at A in Figs. 1 and 2, a strand feeding mechanism generally indicated at B in Figs. 1 to 3, a strand severing and peg transferring mechanism (not shown), peg inserting mechanism (not shown), a

jack (not shown) adapted to support a shoe last and a shoe mounted thereon, and a jack controlling mechanism (not shown) adapted to control the movements of the jack into and out of operative position. In its operative position the jack presents the heel seat portion of the shoe to the lasting mechanism (not shown), the latter mechanism including wipers and a heel end clamping band.

The illustrated machine is equipped to process simultaneously up to twenty-two fiber strands for the simultaneous insertion into the heel seat portion of the shoe of up to twenty-two fiber pegs severed from the strands. Thus, the strand supply A of the illustrated machine comprises twenty-two reels, indicated at 20 in Figs. 1 to 3. Only eleven reels are shown in Fig. l, the other eleven reels being located behind the reels shown in that figure. Each reel carries a coil of fastening material. To support the reels in the machine, the machine frame 22 is provided with two uprights 24 connected together by a horizontal bar 26 extending through brackets 28 secured to the uprights. Similar brackets 30 are carried in uniformly spaced relation on the bar 28 and each bracket 23, 38, with the exception of the bracket 28 at the extreme right of Fig. 1, has two extensions or arms '52, on each of which two reels are rotatably mounted in side by side relation. The just-mentioned bracket 28 at the extreme right of Fig. 1 has three extensions or arms 32 and thus carries six reels 20. fastening material run through suitable guiding eyes 3 secured to the brackets 28, 36' and from there run toward the front of the machine. The entire strand supply is protected against dirt and other foreign matter that otherwise might drop into it by a cover 36 mounted on the upper ends of the uprights 24. I

The mechanism proper forfeeding the fiber strands is illustrated best in Fig. 3 and comprises a feed roller 38 and a cooperating pressure roller 18, between which rollers the twenty-two strands of fastening material pass and which serve intermittently to advance the strands into the strand severing mechanism of the machine. The feed roller 3% is preferably a solid unyieldable member provided with twenty-two grooves adapted to receive the twenty-two strands, whereas the pressure roller ii] is made of a yielding material such as rubber. The feed roller 38 is secured on a shaft 42 rotatably mounted in a bracket secured to the machine frame. There are mounted on the shaft 42 two oppositely operating Horton clutches. The outer driving sleeve of the first clutch is indicated at 46 in Figs. 2 and 3 and, as will be described, it is oscillated so as to impart to the shaft 42 and the feed roller 33 an intermittent rotation in one and the same direction. The second Horton clutch merely serves to lock the shaft 42 on reverse rotation of the sleeve 48 of the first clutch by the driving mechanism to be described;

The pressure roller is secured on'a shaft 28 rotatably mounted in a swingable frame or bracket 50. Gearing 49 (Fig. 2) is provided to transmit the rotation of the shaft 42 to the shaft 38, the arrangement being such that the two rollers 38 and till rotate at about the same peripheral speed. The bracket 50' (Figsi 2 and 3) is hinged on a shaft 52 which is secured in the lower end of the bracket 44. A coupling pin 54 is pivotally mounted on a shaft 58 secured in the upper portion of the bracket 44 and normally lies in a grooved portion provided in the upper end of the bracket 50 andis held in that position by a thumb nut 58 threaded onto the pin'M and abutting the bracket 50; Thus, the pressure of the roller 4ilagainst the roller 38- may be adjusted by the manipulation'ofthe thumb'nut 5E.

The already-mentioned. mechanism for actuating the strand feeding mechanism will now be described. The above-mentioned outer driving sleeve 58 of the first Horton clutch has a lug 88 (Fig. 3) with which is pivotally connected the forward end of a reciprocating actuating member in the form of a link 62. The link 82 carries at its rearward end a headed pin 86,, the head of which is held in a T-shaped guideway provided in a substantially vertical rocking lever 85. As will be described, the pin 64 is adjustable along the guideway 66 so as to vary the length of feed movement imparted to the strands S. The lever as is secured to a shaft 10- rotatably mounted in a lug '32 provided on the machine frame 22. Threaded onto the pin 64 is a thumb nut 14 by means of which the pin 64 may be caused to bind in the guideway 65 and thusto maintain its position of adjustment therein. On the other hand,

The strands of upon loosening the thumb nut 14 the pin 64 may be adjusted along the guideway 66 with relation to the shaft 10, thereby varying the effective length of the rocking lever 68 and thus the throw of the link 62 and consequently the length of feed movement imparted to the strands S.

For the purpose of rocking the lever 68 there is pivotally secured to it at 18 a driving rod 16 (Figs. 1 and 3). The rearward end portion of the driving rod. 16 is threaded into a turnbuckle fifaythroughthe other end of which there is slidable a rod 82. A spring 84 is mounted on the rod 82 between a fixed collar 86 and the turnbuckle Si? and serves to transmit the motion of the rod 82 toward the right of Fig. l to the driving rod 76. As in the machine of my above-mentioned Patent No. 2,510,234, the rod 82 is actuated by a bell-crank lever 88 pivotally secured on the machine frame and connected by means of a vertical rod 90 to a slide (not shown) which is mounted for reciprocation in the machine frame and which is provided with a cam follower (not shown), the cam follower being actuated by a cam (not shown) mounted upon the drive shaft (not shown) of the machine. For a purpose which will become apparent from the description hereafter, the cam path is designed so that, by the rotation of the cam the rod 90 will-be lowered at a rate of speedsubstantially slower than the rate of speed at which the rod is returned to its elevated position. As will be seen, reciprocation of the rod 90 causes reciprocation of the rod 16 to actuate the above-described strand feeding mechanism. The length of feed movement imparted to the strands S may be regulated by adjusting the headed pin 64 along the guideway as described. The strands after leaving the feed roller 38 and pressure roller 40 are received in guiding tubes 92 which conduct the strands into the above-mentioned strand severing and peg transferring mechanism.

To assist the above-described strand feeding mechanism in its operation there is provided a pull-off mechanism illustrated best in Fig. 3. The pull-off mechanism comprises a pull-off roller 9G over which the twenty-two strands S of fastening materialpass; The roller 94 engages the strands at'a location between the strand sup-' ply or reels 2D and the strand feeding mechanism, in particular, the rolls 38 and 4%. The pull-off roller 94 ismounted on a movable support in the form of an; arm 96* which is pivotally secured at 98 to the bracket: 28 at the extreme right of Fig. 1. The free end of the arm 96 is forked and haspivotally secured thereto a trunnion block I90 which. is" bored vertically to receive a rod I02 held in position by a nut or abutment member I04 engaging the: upper extremity of the rod and resting and abutting against the top face of the trunnion block. The nut I04 is secured against rotation by a lockv nut I06. The rod 102 is pivotally secured at its lower end to an arm I08 which is secured upon a shaft H8 mounted for rotation irr a bracket H2 secured to the machine frame. A spring H4 is mounted on the rod N12. The upper end of the spring li i' abuts the trunnion block 100 and its lower end rests against a washer H8 held on the rod :2 by nuts H8. It will beseen, therefore, that the spring H4 normally serves to maintain the pull-off roller 94 yield-ingly in its uppermost position in which the roller 94 holds taut the extents of fiber strands between the strand supply and the strand feeding mechanism. Secured to the shaft H0 is also av rearwardly extending arm I20 which is pivotally connectedto a downwardly extending link I22. The link I22 is pivotally connected to a lug I24 which is part of the outer driving member 46 of the above-mentioned first Horton clutch on the shaft 42 of the strand feeding mechanism. The arrangement is such that on the relatively quick forward movement of the above-mentioned reciprocating link 62, during which the feed roller 38 is rotated to advance the fiber strands, the just-mentioned lug I24 is rotated in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3, with the result that the link I22 is elevated. The shaft III! is rotated in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3, by reason of the rotation of the arm I20 in the same direction due to the elevation of the link I22. This, of course, also causes a quick clockwise rotation of the arm I88 as a result of which the rod I112 is lowered, thereby positively lowering or retracting, through the agency of the nut I94 and trunnion block I08 against which the nut I04 abuts, the pulloif roller 94. In consequence of the lowering of the pull-off roller 94 the extents of fiber strands between the strand supply and the strand feeding mechanism are slackened or released from tension. Thus, the task of the strand feeding mechanism in advancing the twenty-two fiber strands is considerably facilitated and the danger of strand breakage, imminent by the sudden application of considerable tension to the fiber strand, is mitigated, As pointed out, the slackening of the strands by the pull-off mechanism occurs simultaneously with the beginning of the strand feeding operation. When after a quick feeding operation the link 62 is slowly returned toward the left of Fig. 3 into its initial position the lug I24 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction with the result that the shaft III] is rotated in a counterclockwise direction elevating the rod I I12 and collar IIG secured thereon, as a result of which elevation the pull-off roller 94 is slowly and yieldingly moved back into its uppermost position through the agency of the spring I I4. The timing of these movements, as mentioned above, is controlled by a cam in a manner such that the slackening of the strands by the pull-off mechanism occurs quickly and that the actual strand feeding operation also only occupies a minor portion of one cycle of operations of the machine. On the other hand, however, the return of the pull-off roller 94 into its initial strand tensioning position consumes a considerable portion of a cycle of operations. During this return of the pull-off roller 94 into its initial position it causes a new extent of strand or strands to be pulled off the reels 2Q relatively slowly and this new extent of strand is, so to speak, held in readiness by the pull-off member 94 for the next strand feeding operation. Accordingly, the strand feeding mechanism proper is relieved from the task of actually pulling the strands off the reels. As stated, the pulling off is effected by the roller 94 in a manner much slower than could be effected by the strand feeding mechanism, thus also preventing the reels Eli from overturning in which case too much strand would be unreeled.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a strand feeding mechanism, the combination with a rotary reel on which the strand is wound up and a pair of feed rollers between which the strand is gripped and by which the strand is intermittently advanced, of a pull-off 6 member adapted to engage the strand between the reel and the rollers, retractable means for holding the pull-off member prior to the advance of the strand in a normal position in which it holds taut the extent of strand between the reel and the rollers, said retractable means including a support for the pull-off member and an abutment member adapted to engage said support and retract said pull-off member from said normal position to release the strand from tension, and a reciprocating actuating member having connections to said retractable means and to one of said feed rollers, said connections being so arranged that during movement of said reciproeating actuating member in one direction it causes said abutment member to engage the support for the pull-off member and thereby positively retracts the pull-off member to release the strand from tension and simultaneously imparts a feed movement to the feed rollers, and that during movement of said reciprocating actuating member in the opposite direction it returns the pull-off member to its normal position thereby causing the pull-off member to exert a tensioning influence upon the strand to pull off a length of strand from the reel.

2. In a strand feeding mechanism, the combination with a rotary reel on which the strand is wound up and a pair of feed rollers between which the strand is gripped and by which the strand is intermittently advanced, of a pull-off member adapted to engage and tension the strand between the reel and the rollers before the strand is advanced, a movable support for the member, a spring acting on the support tending to move the member in one direction into a position in which that member tensions the strand, an abutment member engageable with the support to move the pull-off member in the opposite direction, and a reciprocating driven member adapted, when moving in one direction, to actuate the feed rollers and said abutment member positively to release the pull-off member from its strand tensioning position, and adapted, when moving in the opposite direction, to load said spring yieldably to return the pull-off member into its strand tensioning position.

3. In a strand feeding mechanism, the combination with a strand supplying member and strand feeding means adapted intermittently to advance the strand from the supplying member, of a pull-off member, retractable means for holding the pull-off member, prior to the advance of the strand, in a normal position in which it engages and tensions the strand between the supplying member and the feeding means, said retractable means including a support for the pull-off member and an abutment member adapted to engage said support and retract the pull-off member from said normal position to thereby release the strand from tension, a reciprocating driven member having connections to said retractable means and to the strand feeding means, said connections being so arranged that during the movement of said reciprocating member in one direction it causes said abutment member to engage the support for the pull-off member thereby retracting the pull-off member from said normal position and simultaneously it imparts a feed. movement to the feeding means, and that during movement of said reciprocating member in the opposite direction it returns the pull-off member to its normal position thereby causing the pull-off member to exert a tensioning influence upon the strand to pull off alength-ofstrandfrom the supplying member.

4. In a strand feeding mechanism, the combi& nation with a rotary reel on which the strand is wound up and a pair of feed rollers between which the strand is gripped and by which the strand is intermittently advanced, of a pull-off member adapted to engage and tension the strand between the reel and the rollers before the strand is advanced, a movable support for said member, a spring acting on said support tending to move the member in one direction into a position in which the member tensions the strand, an abutment member engageable with the support positively to move the pull-off member in the opposite direction, and a reciprocating driven member having connections adapted to actuate the feed rollers and the movable support, the connections being arranged, when moved in one direction, to actuate the feed rollers and said abutment member positively to move the pull-off member from its strand.

tensioning position, and arranged, when moved in the opposite direction, to load said spring yieldably to return the pull-off member into its strand tensioning position to thereby pull off a length of strand from the reel.

5. The mechanism of claim 4 in which the reciprocating member is driven such that the actuation of the feed rollers and the accompanying positive movement of the pull-off member out of its normal position consumes a relatively small portion of a, cycle of operations whereas the return of the pull-ofi member to normal position consumes a relatively large portion of a cycle of operations.

CLYDE L. KNOTT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

